


into the shadows -and out again-

by SetsuntaMew



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Experimental Style, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 08:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17700536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SetsuntaMew/pseuds/SetsuntaMew
Summary: Every day, the shadows in Hakuryuu's room change.





	into the shadows -and out again-

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dragonofeternal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonofeternal/gifts).



> Written for Chocolate Box 2019!! I lucked out with who I got paired with, so please enjoy some weird juhakus~

Every day, the shadows in his room change: not with the changing angle of the sun or moon, but in illogical ways across his floors and walls, through doorways and into drawers, until Hakuryuu feels sick with worry. He doesn’t know how to stop it; how does one tell shadows to behave? It shouldn’t be like this.

It started small. Shadows fell at slightly off angles, not quite matching up with the furniture they supposedly belonged to, but Hakuryuu didn’t notice until they swirled into new shapes, unique and foreboding and foreign in his home.

He shivers and clenches his hands, digging his nails into the soft flesh of his palms, and tries to ground himself in reality. They’re shadows. They can’t hurt him.

Sometimes, Hakuryuu thinks they’re following him more than anything else; they’re trying to keep up with him as he moves, settling around his feet when he sits, and surrounding his bed at night.

ẋ̥̣̠̙͛̀͒̈̊̔･x̶̙̐ͯ̀･x̠̪̗̩̺̼̖̳̰̄͗̓ͯ

 _h̖̭̙̞a̯̠a̯̻̪a̢̗̙͉̗̘̼̦ą̺a͇̖͕̻k̯͈͎̳͝u̴̼̝̮ͅu̼r̼y̛̮͖͕̘ͅu̳̺̺͔̲u̵̪̯̫̠u̟̩̹̘̭͜ͅu͍̗̝̫̯_  
̫̦̕ͅ  
̷̼s̹o̮̜m̪͍̖͙̼̺͟e̩͍d̺̺̰͈a̛͉͎͖̠̩̻ͅy҉͍̤̳̪̗̝̙  
̥̳̺̪͕͞  
̘͉͚͇̲̖i̙̞’̪͚̗͉m ̹͉͟g̮̦̖̖͞o̻̼͚͝i͡n̷͚̜̦͔g ̵̪̗͙t̬̻̫̺̩̬͚o̵̪----

x̟̣̟̲･x͎̙̣̳̺･x̦

Every day gets harder; he stays wrapped up in blankets and layers of self-doubt and guilt until leaving the house becomes an impossibility, not a necessity. And with each day of solitude, the shadows come ever closer, just a bit more displaced from their original forms, and Hakuryuu tries to shut them out.

But.

They’re not real. They’re not solid. They’re moving in unmistakably _wrong_ ways, but they can’t do anything to him.

Hakuryuu breathes in deeply, and slowly back out, and watches shadows swirl in the corners of his vision as he does.

x̻͙̠̬̗̩ͨ̾ͩͦ̓ͤ･x̓ͭ･xͯ̐

 _ị̫ ͇͓͚͙͔̗w̙͉̘̻͢a̶n̥͝ṭ̠_  
  
̨͔͙̳͎t̩̩̘̟̬o̷̪̫̪̬̬̟̘ ̶  
  
̪̖̰̙̟͟ͅj̼͎̯̺u͔̙̙s̛̬̭̼͓̬t̜ ҉̬̣̝t̡͙̙̲͈̯̺o͍̣̭u͏͉̘̪c̖̟̟͇̯h͏̝̜͎͙͈----

x̵̫͇̪̰̜･x̶̢̯͖̺̖͖̫̣̼･x̺̕͝

Hakuryuu’s sheets rustle at his feet, just a little, and he almost thinks it’s from shifting around. But it happens again, like someone or something is trying to move them and get his attention. He curls in on himself and tucks his legs up, trying to keep himself as small as possible and away from the edge of the bed.

Even in the pitch black of night, he sees the darkness around him shift like liquid. Slick shapes, almost thick and solid, curl at the foot of his bed, and Hakuryuu forces himself to look away and fall into the blissful ignorance of sleep.

x̝̣̟͕ͮ͋͗̅̇･xͩ͌ͯ･x̉̇

 _t͎o̬̜̩͙͘u̘c͍͎̬͘h̯_  
̳̖  
͏͕̤̦̲̤̖s҉̹o̹̤̬m̻͔̥͎̝e͕o̳̹̖n̛ͅe̶̜̬͖̭̭̞---- 

x̦̼̦͚̒ͦ･x̜̙͇̼̞͔̖͆̎ͪͮ̑͒͗･x̙͈ͫͫ

Hakuryuu’s hair rustles, bangs falling in his face, and he glances up from his dinner. None of his windows are open, so where is the breeze coming from?

He shakes his head. It’s fine. He’s been imagining things too much lately, cooped up in his apartment alone, but it’s going to be okay. He just has to stay calm, breathe evenly, and go about his day.

A napkin flutters and Hakuryuu slams a hand on it. For a brief moment, enough that it’s almost his imagination, he sees a shadow wrap around his hand.

and---

There’s the lightest brush on his skin as the shadow passes over, before fluttering away to rejoin its brethren on the floor.

x̨͈̺͔͎̣̲͆̎̉･x̨̲̺̼̹̀ͥ̑̐ͫ･x̶̙̐ͯ̀

 _b̰̗̟̼̳ͅu͓t̳̼͔ ̛̟h͇̻̟o̖͍̜p͡ef҉̫̮̼̲u̬͈̲l͔̤̤̙̰l̺y̞̱̼_  
̧̦̳  
̥̗̬̲y҉̘̯o͢u̘̟͡,̛  
̕  
̧̺̲̳͙h̶a̪͚̲̰͚͉k̯u͉̩̦͇͞r̺y̧̜͙̥ͅu͇͕̤u͓̟̖̗̹̫ͅ

̛̠̪̠̻͢x͏̝̭̱̞͕̝͡･xͪ̔͐･҉̵̬͍̝̦͟x̶̤̬̰̝̱͘

He’s trapped in a world of strangely twisted shadows, coming closer every day, and he can no longer quite convince himself that he’s safe from them.

Shadows can’t touch him, he tries to remind himself, but all he can think about is the soft touch against his hand.

Hakuryuu steps around what may have once been the shadow of a table, but is now distorted in impossible ways across the floor, and watches it bend to follow his path. He doesn’t rush, he doesn’t panic: he just walks to his bedroom door.

Into his room, door carefully shut, back pressed against it, but---

a whisper

_h̸aku̧͞r̸̕y͏͞u͡u_

And he slides down the door, slumps on the floor, and fear settles into a heavy, twisted lump in the pit of his stomach. He’s taking quick, shallow breaths, and Hakuryuu knows they’re not helping his anxiety, but he just can’t think of anything else to do. He’s shaking, tears filling his eyes, lost and confused and-

Slowly, something drapes over his shoulders, a soft and almost familiar touch, and not quite arms are wrapping around him from behind in a mockery of a hug.

Hakuryuu freezes the world falls away around him as he realizes exactly what’s embracing him. The shadows are growing thicker and more solid as they hold him, tight as a desperate lover. He’s terrified and in denial; this isn’t how this works. This can’t be happening.

He hates crying, he hates how useless and childlike it makes him feel, but he can’t stop now. It’s overwhelming, it’s not real but it _is_ real,

and---

A shadowy - limb, he thinks, despite the impossibility of it - brushes some of his tears away, and Hakuryuu doesn’t stop it.

x͚͖̘̥̗͊̄̊̓･x̙̝͖͙̎̐̽̊͟ͅ･x̤̗̥͎ͮ͆̌ͮ̋ͅ

They don’t talk but Hakuryuu can hear them, whispers in the corners of his rooms and crackling laughter in the dark, and he’s given up on ignoring it. He can get lost and messed up all alone in his apartment, cut off from the outside world because quite honestly, it is more terrifying than the knowledge that he might _not_ be alone.

_t͓̯̤a̻͔̞̺l̢̮̦̖̞̩͓k̞͕͠ ̫̮͈͉̞̠͔t͈̬o̼̼̞̮͍̬̜ ̸͍̘̥̫͉ͅͅm̗̱̘̫e͚̘̝̫̭͇_

Hakuryuu’s hands shake as he drops the tea bag into his mug, and he spends far too long getting honey out of his cupboard. There’s - something - whispering around him, voice coming from the tiny shadows twisted in every strand of his hair, wrapped up in him as much as he tries to ignore it.

His timer goes off and Hakuryuu drizzles honey into the tea, pulling out the bag and dipping a spoon into it, twirling it through the honey, and Hakuryuu tries to lose himself to-

_h͈͟ḁk̦̻̩͓u̥ry̯̪̗̖͎̩ưu̬̰̫̩̬̻̼͞---_

The spoon clatters to the counter and Hakuryuu grips the mug tightly. He’s just trying to drink his tea but he can’t can’t _can’t_ ignore the voice in the air, calling his name and begging for him, and he doesn’t know how it learned what to call him.

Drink his tea. Focus on the warm, soothing liquid, not the voice and not the shadows creeping ever closer.

_H̖̳A̪̟̫̫K̨̞̳͈U͍͔̰̱R̡̩̻̭͓̺̳Y̘̺U̡̥͚U̜͙̙_

Nothing is talking to him, nothing at all, he can’t give into what it wants because then he’d have to admit that he’s lonely enough to give into the whispers and murmurs his mind is creating, and-

_H̹̻̗̺̣͇A͏̖̞͉̳̮̫K̨̛̹̪͖̗̳͢U̵̺R͚͡Y̡͕̭U̴̸̼̰͎͇͎͝U͔͉̯̬̞̩̖!!!_

And Hakuryuu turns to face his company, a pooling mess of shadows on his kitchen floor and table and crawling up the wall in a twisted mockery of something humanoid, and finally _finally_ addresses him, as calm as he can.

“Hello,” he says softly, and he swears he can see a grin nearly split its face in two.

“He̷ll̕o, ̶Ha͡k͘u͜y̕ưu,” it responds, clearer than anything else it’s said to him before. Hakuryuu swallows deeply, reconsidering talking to it directly. This was a bad idea; now it can probably eat his soul or curse him, and he’ll die being from being swallowed up by some horrible shadow monsters. Or-

“K̷new ̵yo̢u'͠d fuc͠k̢in com̴e ar͘o̢u͡nd ęvent͏u͠a͘l͜ly!!” it says, cutting off his train of thought with cackling laughter that echoes in the darkest corners of his apartment. “But̡ it ̶took̢ y͝ou̧ so ͢long̕! ҉G̛uess it's goơd t̛hat ̕I̷'m̕ pa͜t̷ient̛,͝ h͜u͝h̨?”

Its casual tone throws Hakuryuu off, and he nearly drops his tea. He somehow expected more doom and threats, not...whatever this is. Hakuryuu very carefully puts his mug down, since the time for drinking his tea in peace has passed, and tries to form a response. How does one talk to a conglomeration of shadows? He never learned about this kind of social situation.

“Hey, yo̶u ̨st̸i̶l̵l pa͝y̴in͞ atte̴nt͟i͟o͜n͞?̷ I̧'m͜ t̵ry̢in̨g to ho̢l͜d̷ ͏a c̴o̷n̸v̷ers̨at͠ion h͡e̡r͠e!” it says, snapping Hakuryuu out of his thoughts.

“I’m sorry,” he says, and decides to give his honest answer. “I’m just not sure what you want from me.”

A shrug, Hakuryuu thinks, and he’d expect a cocky grin if it wasn’t an ungodly horror. “I͠ j̡us͜t tol̛d ̢yo͏u̡.̴ I̛'m t͟ryin͏g͡ t̡o t̸al̢k to̵ ̕you̧! I ͡coul͞dn't s͠a̛y͘ ̕mu̶c̶h ̴unti̸l͝ y̕o͟u ac͝kn̸ow̸ledged̸ m̛e,̸ but͝ ͡now̵ ͘that ͝yo͞u ha̶ve͘, we҉ ͝ca̸n͢ be͜ b͢e͜st ͟b̕ud͞d̢i͠es.”

Hakuryuu waits for it to continue, since this can’t be all of it. Horrible shadow monster delusions don’t just demand friendship. But there’s no further explanation, just slowly curling and twisting bits of shadow as it waits for Hakuryuu to say something.

“How did you know my name?” he finally settles on.

“I͡ ͡ca͟n ͠rea̡d͟, ̢yo̷u ͘k͏no҉w,” it says, sounding put out. “But ͢I gu͜es͟s ̴I ͞shou̸ld͞ intro͢du͢ce ̧m͝y͏se̕lf!”

“You have a name?” Hakuryuu blurts out without thinking, and the shadows contract and expand in raucous laughter.

It finally composes itself and the shadows return to a somewhat more stable shape. “I'm̵ ͘J͓̗̜͢u̩̖̫̻̖̦̳d͇̼̩̯̯a̫͍͎ͅl͉̭,” it says and stretches out towards Hakuryuu again, and-

Reality almost twists, he thinks, as shadows peel themselves off the wall and into a something far more solid than they should be able to, and Judal offers up a hand.

 

x̮̖͇͕̰̞̝͒̋͛̎͐͢͟͞͠･ ̎̀͆ͥ҉̰̱̥̤͍͕͖̞̝͔̪͈̻x̦̬͖̮̝́͛̔ͩ͐̿͛͆̾̂̃̚̕͜･ ̨̯̳̪͍͔̥͍̗͓͓̹̪͍̣̪̬͖̂̓̉̿͑͒̉̓ͬ͌̎͐̾̽̿̆̊̔͒͢͜͜x̴̧̛̟͕̜̟̹̾͆̚  
  
  
_f̷̡̛͈̯̜̬̮͖̼̫͔͜͜ i̶̮̣͎͓͚̪̗͉͟͠͝͝ n̷͔̘̪͈͕̮̗̱̬̲̭̤̰͘͢ a̷͔̣̳̮͖͖͔͚ l̸̢̻͇̳͈̦ l̶͘͠҉̠̭̼̥̼͕̟ͅͅ y҉̹̠̲͓̰̥̞̗̘͎͇͖͇̻̠̩ͅ_


End file.
